Cloquet, MN rainwater: 25,966 gallons off a roof
Cloquet, MN: gallons off the roof each year
25,966gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Cloquet, MN's normal 32.7 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Cloquet, MN a single barrel does most of the work. Storms come often enough that a small tank refills before it runs dry, and a bigger one would mostly sit full.
Rainfall: NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, the Cloquet station (1.7 mi away). Cloquet, MN ranks 61st wettest of the 103 cities covered in Minnesota.
Month by month in Cloquet
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.00 | 795 | |
| Feb | 0.98 | 779 | |
| Mar | 1.44 | 1,145 | |
| Apr | 2.41 | 1,915 | 242 |
| May | 3.48 | 2,766 | 108 |
| Jun | 4.75 | 3,775 | |
| Jul | 4.33 | 3,442 | 2 |
| Aug | 4.18 | 3,322 | 21 |
| Sep | 3.56 | 2,830 | 98 |
| Oct | 3.26 | 2,591 | 136 |
| Nov | 1.82 | 1,447 | |
| Dec | 1.46 | 1,160 |
Jun is the wettest month (4.75 in, 3,775 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (0.98 in). Garden shortfall is what a 200 sq ft vegetable bed needs beyond the rain that lands on it, April to October.
What size rain barrel for Cloquet
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 481 gallons to the garden in a normal year (79.1% of its need).
If you buy one, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of Cloquet's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 481 | 24,496 |
| 110 gal | 481 | 24,496 |
| 165 gal | 481 | 24,496 |
| 275 gal | 481 | 24,496 |
| 550 gal | 481 | 24,496 |
| 1,000 gal | 481 | 24,496 |
| 1,500 gal | 481 | 24,496 |
| 2,500 gal | 481 | 24,496 |
| 5,000 gal | 481 | 24,496 |
Simulated storm by storm through a normal year using the station's count of days with 0.1 in or more of rain each month.
Is rainwater collection legal in Minnesota?
No statewide rainwater harvesting regulations; check county for local incentives
From the 2015 (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory report 24347); not yet re-checked against current law, so check with your state water agency before building anything large. Source